Releasable shoulder strap for sam browne belts



1967 H. PARLANTE ETAL 3,352,467

RELEASABLE SHOULDER STRAP FOR SAM EROWNE BELTS Filed July 5, 1966 INVENTORS /122 Hen/jg Par/ame d- 125 52 fill/7k Par-[ante 12a BY WQ 130 130 42 A 0R 5 United States Patent 3,352,467 RELEASABLE SHOULDER STRAP FOR SAM BROWNE BELTS Henry Parlante, Flushing, and Frank Parlante, Brooklyn, N.Y. (both Courtlandt Boot Jack Co., Inc., 270 Lafayette St., New York, N.Y. 10012) Filed July 5, 1966, Ser. No. 562,683 1 Claim. (Cl. 224-) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A break-away attachment between the shoulder strap and the waist-encircling belt of a Sam Browne belt. Said attachment is constituted as an open spring metal clip which will breakaway if forcefully grasped by an unauthorized person.

This invention relates generally to mens outer wearing leather apparel and more particularly to new and useful improvements in a Sam Browne belt.

Law enforcement officers have found that the shoulder strap of the ordinary Sam Browne belt affords a handy device to be grasped by a person being accosted, for the purpose of pulling and pushing the officer, in an attempt to get away. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide a Sam Browne belt with a shoulder strap that readily and automatically breaks away and becomes detached from the waist encircling belt when ulled. p Another object of the invention is to provide a Sam Browne belt with a shoulder strap having simple and effective attachment for ready :and releasable attachment to and breaking away from the waist-encircling belt part or body.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference should be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of a Sam Browne belt embodying the invention shown on a phantom police officer and shown supporting a gun holster in dash lines.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, part diagrammatic and part elevational, of a portion of the shoulder strap being pulled apart from the belt, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the metal break away attaching clip.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, at Sam Browne belt made in accordance with the present invention is shown in position on a person and indicated generally at 10. The belt comprises a waist-encircling body 12 preferably formed of leather. The body of the belt is elongated and rectangular with one end square cornered as indicated at 14 and the other end formed with a blunt point 16. For a major portion of the body, from midway the ends thereof to the square cornered end, the body is formed with an inner lining 18 for reinforcing the belt. The lining is stitched to the body of the belt by top and bottom rows of stitching 20 and 22, respectively, along the long edges of the body. An extension strip 24 of leather is stitched to the square cornered end of the body, the outer end of the strip being enlarged and extending beyond and laterally of said square cornered end. The strip reinforces the square cornered end of the body. A round headed lug 26 is suitably fastened to the body of the belt adjacent the square end thereof, the lug projecting radially of the body.

3,352,457 Ce Patented Nov. 14, 1967 The pointed end of the body of the belt is formed with rows of series of spaced holes 28, 28, adjacent the long edges thereof, and with another row of spaced holes 30 between the holes 28, 28, the holes 30 being intersected with slits 32 extending longitudinally of the body to permit the holes 30 to expand.

A narrow strap 34 encircles the body of the belt at the square cornered end. The strip is slidably mounted on the body and serves as a guide and to hold the pointed end 30 of the belt as seen in FIG. 1.

A metal buckle construction 36 is removably and adjustably mounted on the perforated end of the body of the belt. The buckle construction includes a rectangular shaped frame 38 with perforated ears 40 extending radially from the ends thereof. The ends of a round rod 42 are journalled in the perforations in the ears for supporting the rod in spaced relation to the body of the frame.

A pair of spaced angularly bent tongues 44, 44 is formed integrally with the rod 42, the base portions of the tongues extending at right angles to the plane of the rod and the free ends thereof being bent at right angles to the base portions. The tongues are inserted through a pair of opposed holes 28, 28 in the body of the belt for attaching the buckle construction to the belt.

A leather strap loop 46 is inserted between the body of the belt and the inner end of the lining 18 and secured therein by the top row of stitching 20, leaving the loop body thereof extending outwardly and above the adjacent long edge of the body of the belt as seen in FIG. 1. A ring-shaped metal loop 48 is loosely and hingedly secured to the loop 46. A leather strap loop 50 and an associated metal ring-shaped loop 52 are similarly formed, positioned and secured at the outer end of the lining 18.

An elongated leather shoulder strap 56 is adapted to be releasably attached at its ends to the body 12 of the belt 10. The shoulder strap 56 has an elongated rectangular narrow body 58 having a square cornered end 60 and a blunt pointed end 62. The end 60 of the strap is formed with a hole 64 intersected by a slit 60 extending longitudinally of the body 58 of the strap 56, to receive the head end of a lug 68 fastened to the enlarged circular end 70 of a short leather strap 72. The other end of the strap 72 is pointed as indicated at 74. The short strap 72 is bent midway its ends around the end 60 of the body 58 of the strap 56 and its pointed end 74 is slitted and removably attached to the head of the lug 68. The short strap 72 is thus swivelly attached to the end 60 of the shoulder strap.

The pointed end 62 of the shoulder strap 56 is narrowed and formed with a series of spaced holes centrally thereof. A short strap assembly 82 is detachably connected to the perforated end 62 of the shoulder strap 56. This assembly includes a strap 84 having an enlarged end 86, the opposite end being bent upon itself to form a loop (not shown). A buckle construction 96 is loosely mounted in the loop. This buckle construction includes a rectangular shaped metal frame 98, with integral lugs 100 extending from the long sides of the frame. A round rod 102 extends across the frame with its ends formed integrally with the lugs. A metal tongue 104 is pivotally connected to the rod 102 midway its ends and extends through the loop for engagement with one of the ends of the frame. A leather ring 106 encircles the body of the strap 84 and is slidable therealong.

The enlarged end 86 of the strap 84 supports a headed lug 108 radially thereof. A short leather strap 110 is secured at one end to one side of the enlarged end 86 of the strap 84. The other end of the strap 110 is pointed as indicated at 114 and formed with a hole 116. The strap 110 is bent midway its ends around the enlarged end 86 of the strap 84 and its pointed end detachably secured to the strap by means of the headed lug 108 extending through the hole 116 therein.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel clip assembly 120 is provided for attaching each end of the shoulder strap 56 to the belt body 12, thereby permitting a safety breakaway or release of the shoulder strap 56 should it be grasped by an unauthorized person and pulled. This clip assembly includes a spring metal clip 122, as best seen in FIG. 3. The clip 122 has a rectangular shaped body folded upon itself midway its ends forming a bulged out body portion 124 open at the sides and closed by a loop 126 at one end, and open at the other end, the open end being formed with inturned ends 128, 128, in releasable engagement with each other, the ends terminating in outwardly flaring curved end edges 130, 130 to facilitate separation of the engageable ends when pressure is brought to bear against the flaring end edges. Associated with the clip 124 there is a metal ring 132 which is inserted through the open end of the clip and loosely posi tioned in the closed loop end 126.

In use, the shoulder strap 56 is attached to the belt by snapping the clips 122, on the ends of the shoulder strap 56, onto the rings 48 and 50. The belt 10 is placed around the waist of the wearer and the shoulder strap placed in position over a shoulder of the wearer as seen in FIG. 1. The belt 10 is fastened in position by means of the buckle 36 and tongues 44 passing through the holes 28, 28 and by means of the lug 26 passing through a hole 30. A holster 134 may be supported on the belt body 12 by means of a slidable strap 136 slidable on the belt body 12.

If an unauthorized person grasps the shoulder strap 56 and pulls it as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, a clip 122 or clips 122 will automatically become unattached and released or breakaway whereby the shoulder strap 56 will become detached from the belt 10 and the person will only have the shoulder strap 56 in his hand for his trouble.

Other rings 48' and 52 are provided at the opposite side of the waist-encircling body -12 when the shoulder strap 56 is crossed over the right or opposite shoulder of the police ofiicer. Also, two crossed shoulder straps can be used. The shoulder strap 56 may be Worn from the right shoulder, by turning the waist-encircling body 12 over to the other side of the body of the wearer and using the rings 48" and 52".

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise construction hereindisclosed and that various changes and modifications 4 may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A belt of the Sam Browne type comprising a waistencircling body of leather, a leather shoulder strap and coacting means on the body and on the ends of the shoulder strap for fastening the shoulder strap ends to the waist-encircling body, said shoulder strap ends adapted to break away from the waist-encircling body automatically when pulling pressure is exerted thereupon, the coacting means on the body including opposed metal rings hingedly mounted on the top edge of the body, the coacting means on the ends of the shoulder strap including spring metal clips hingedly mounted on the ends of the shoulder strap, each spring metal clip including a rectangular shaped body folded upon itself midway its ends forming a bulged-out body folded upon itself midway its ends forming a bulged-out body portion open at the sides and closed by an elongated closed loop at one end, said body being open at the other end, the open end being formed with inturned ends, in releasable engagement with each other, the ends terminating in outwardly flaring curved end edges to facilitate separation of the engageable ends when pressure is brought to bear against the flaring end edges, the hinged mounting of the spring metal clips including a leather strap folded upon itself and having one end secured to one end of the shoulder strap, the other end of the folded strap being secured to a headed lug on the said end of the shoulder strap, a metal ring hingedly secured to said folded strap, a looped end of one of the clips hingedly secured to said metal ring, a strap extension having one end detachably secured to the other end of the shoulder strap, a length of strap folded upon itself and having one end secured to one side of the other end of said strap extension, the other end of the folded strap looped around said other end of the strap extension and secured to the other side of said other end of the strap extension, and a metal ring hingedly secured to said latter folded strap, the looped end of said other clip hingedly secured to the latter metal ring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1931 Warren 224-22 8/1951 Cookman 224-5 HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

